‘Associate’ EU membership for Canada not a ‘short-term’ project: expert

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney outlined a plan for Canada to sign a new partnership agreement with the European Union within seven months, aiming to establish the "deepest possible partnership short of accession." This would see Canada become the EU's first associate member. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, championed the idea of associate membership in Strasbourg, France, last month, stating her belief in building a partnership that "comes closer to membership than anything we’ve done before."

However, EU officials acknowledge that negotiating this status could be challenging, especially in the short term. Achim Hurrelmann, co-director of the Centre for European Studies at Carleton University, expressed doubt about the possibility of establishing such a status for Canada any time soon, citing the need for consensus among all member states.

Despite these challenges, Carney and EU officials met in Montreal to sign a joint statement promoting a "Canada-EU Alliance for the Future." The statement commits both sides to working towards defining an "ever-closer association" between Canada and the EU by the 2027 EU-Canada Summit. EU members have been hesitant to include the term "associate member" in official documents, fearing it could pave the way for permanent membership for countries like Ukraine.

Hurrelmann emphasized the need for clarity on the term in Europe, noting the strong embrace of associate membership by Canadian officials. Carney indicated he would meet with EU presidents periodically and attend European Council meetings in June to track progress and conclude negotiations. The joint statement also calls for increased industrial collaboration, supply chain integration, and the creation of a new Canada-EU business council, as well as plans for a transatlantic data cable and expanding liquefied natural gas exports to Europe.